Comrade, Your Ingredients Are Too Complicated

Chapter 254 The general attack begins!

 Taiyuan, Eastern Group Command Post.

 We have said before that Taiyuan is a city built in a basin.

 The average height of the main urban area is 785 meters, while the highest point in the east is 920 meters. This means that as long as you stand on the high ground to the east, you can have an unobstructed view of the city.

 Such a special terrain, of course the Eastern Group will make reasonable use of it.

 The artillerymen established multiple artillery observation posts on the highlands around the city.

Coupled with the detailed city defense map provided by the First Kong Division, the brigade commander had the confidence to end the battle in thirty hours.

 At this time, there are still fifteen minutes before the start of the general attack. Brigadier Chen was standing on the top of the hill, his eyes slowly scanning the artillery positions below.

“Old Chen, are you nervous?”

"It's okay, no shame. After all, this is the first time to attack a big city. Other troops may not be as good as us."

"I have communicated with Fang Ziyi of the 1st Air Division and asked him to fire a few more rockets on the section where the 385th Brigade is attacking. You can rest assured, hahaha."

 Hearing the ridicule from his chief of staff, Brigadier Chen rolled his eyes angrily.

It is true that the Eighth Route Army lacks experience in urban offensive operations, but advanced equipment and sufficient logistical supplies can completely offset its only disadvantage.

What's more, my good brother has been thinking hard for two weeks for this battle. Almost all possible accidents have been taken into account, and multiple response plans have been made.

"Nervous? How could I be nervous? Yoshio Iwamatsu is the one who has no confidence in his heart!"

"Isn't it just an attack on the city? Our brigade also attacked Yangquan last year. This Taiyuan is just a larger county town."

 “Call me to obey the order! Get all artillery soldiers ready for battle!”

"yes!"

 Following Brigadier Chen’s order, the artillerymen took off their camouflage on their respective positions.

One M1897 75mm cannon, the barrel pointed directly at Taiyuan City in the distance, and began to pour out its anger as soon as the superior gave an order.

 Fifteen minutes later, the perspective returned to the 386th Brigade.

 After receiving replies from troops at all levels, the brigade commander issued the attack order without hesitation.

Today is a big day, and the brigade commander specially put on his favorite leather jacket. At this time, his eyes were full of passion, and he strode to the phone and shouted:

 “The general attack begins!”

“Give me ten minutes of bombardment first! No one is allowed to stop without my order!”

As soon as he finished speaking, the sound of roaring artillery sounded from the entire southern group's position.

This beautiful sound made every comrade participating in the battle excited.

 Of course, except the Logistics Department.

In order to ensure sufficient firepower, the 129th Division not only used all its accumulated resources, but also borrowed 200 guns from the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Region and the 120th Division.

 In this way, only Zhang Wan and the injured world have achieved it.

 In this battle, a total of four hundred M1897 75mm cannons participated.

Excluding the Western Group that defends along the Fen River and the Northern Group that mainly engages in feint attacks, the East and South Groups can drop up to 29.2 tons of artillery shells on the heads of the Japanese defenders per minute.

 The First Army now only has 31 mountain, field, and howitzers, which is less than one-twentieth of the Eighth Route Army.

 In order to allow the soldiers to have sufficient artillery shells, it is also to prevent TG's fear of insufficient firepower. Throughout May, Huanghe only allowed the military factories in the system to produce Miss 75s and artillery shells, and even the hurricane production lines were temporarily closed.

 The Border Region Military Industry Bureau and the Logistics Department of Southeast Shanxi have also adjusted their production focus, and all projects must make way for the supply of artillery shells.

 A moment later, a storm of artillery shells, with a scream that ripped through the air, landed on the fortresses outside Taiyuan City from multiple angles.

Each artillery regiment did not conduct a test firing in advance, and was covered by rapid fire artillery fire as soon as it came up. A single cannon fired at a rate of more than fifteen rounds per minute, causing smoke and explosive fireballs to rise over the enemy's position.

The city wall, which had experienced the baptism of war in 1938, groaned in pain again under the bombardment of artillery shells.

The artillerymen of the Eighth Route Army are no longer the novices they used to be. Comrades have practiced combat and have become highly skilled in their skills. Following the feedback from the observation posts, the forts were named one after another.

 The Japanese who were unable to fight back could only wait to die in the weak fortifications.

 Such a scale of artillery bombardment is not just a fuss made by the brigade commander, using anti-aircraft guns to kill mosquitoes.

As early as during the Hundred Regiments War, the war potential of the Eighth Route Army deeply shocked Yoshio Shinozuka.

At that time, the main force of the First Army was still facing off against the preserved fruit defenders near Zhongtiao Mountain. He was afraid in his dreams that his headquarters would be besieged.

 In case the Eighth Route Army's three major base areas are attacked, 105 regiments will launch a surprise attack. If the opponent does not care about losses, Taiyuan's troops alone may not be able to defend it.

 The threat of death made the First Army very active in repairing turtle shells.

This old devil began to forcibly recruit civilians in September last year, and carried out a large-scale strengthening of Taiyuan City's defense, covering the entire city with a thick layer of armor.

 Under his operation, Taiyuan City built a large-scale fortification complex surrounding the city. These masonry fortresses are located every thirty meters inside and outside the city walls, totaling more than 400.

 There are foxholes and shelters between the fortifications, and they are connected by communication trenches and roads.

 Just in case, the Japanese soldiers also placed a large number of landmines and barbed wire fences around the perimeter.

 There are only eight checkpoints left in the entire city that can be used during the day. At night, all non-military traffic is cut off, which can be said to be heavily guarded.

After Yoshio Iwamatsu took office, he expanded 27 reinforced concrete fortresses at key locations, once again strengthening the overall defense strength.

 Facing a large city with ten thousand troops and abundant supplies. If the 129th Division is still at the same level of attacking artillery towers as it was before 1939, Taiyuan can be defended almost indefinitely.

If the First Army is allowed to hold on firmly, it is hard to say whether the North China Front Army can make a comeback, but the recovery of Jin Province will most likely be delayed.

It’s a pity that Yoshio Shinozuka seriously misestimated the speed of iteration of the Eighth Route Army’s equipment.

Those seemingly solid fortification groups were built entirely in accordance with the firepower standards of the 129th Division and the Hundred Regiments War.

They will definitely have no problem against the Type 92 infantry gun and the 81mm mortar, but they can only stand a chance against the M1897 75mm cannon.

 The only thing that can be used is the reinforced concrete fortress built during the Yoshio Iwamatsu period.

What's more, our army is no longer what it used to be. In this battle, we can not only dispatch a large number of artillery, but also mobilize a large number of aircraft and engineers to participate in the critical battle.

If you include mortars and previously captured Type 92 infantry guns, the 129th Division concentrated a total of 970 artillery pieces of various types on a breakthrough width of 1,500 meters.

 Watching the fortresses collapsing under the artillery fire, the brigade commander even laughed like Li Yunlong.

"Inform the First Air Division and ask Captain Wang Hai to set off in five minutes to help the infantry clear the battlefield."    "Especially those reinforced concrete fortresses, they are not so easy to be pulled out by artillery. But aerial bombs are different, who It can’t carry a 227kg guy.”

 “Let the soldiers also be prepared to fight in coordination with the First Air Division and the artillery!”

"yes!"

  ·······

 In Taiyuan City, the headquarters of the First Army of the North China Front.

　　Listening to the earth-shattering explosions that echoed through the sky outside the city, both the Japanese and the common people were trembling, fearing that a shell would fall on their heads.

Although Yoshio Iwamatsu had long heard of the existence of the Eighth Route Army artillery group, there was a big difference between hearsay and seeing it with his own eyes.

 “Boom!”

While the old devil was still carefully observing the battlefield, a huge explosion came from the rear left.

 Looking back, I saw that my headquarters was gone. The opponent's artillery seemed to have opened its eyes, accurately sending the artillery shells to a fixed area.

Even if there was a slight deviation from the trajectory, there was no accidental injury to civilians.

 After all, no people from the Republic of China dared to approach within a radius of one kilometer. Fortunately, the other side seemed to be wary and stopped shelling only after destroying landmark buildings.

 A moment later, screams and calls for help brought Yoshio Iwamatsu back to reality.

At this time, he was full of fear. If it were not for the better observation of the battlefield, he would move to the roof of the building on higher ground. That shot just now could definitely send him to see the locusts.

 Watching those French cannons plowing their carefully prepared defensive positions over and over again, the old Japanese still showed an exaggerated expression of disbelief.

Now he even began to doubt his previous ambitions. Faced with such an intensity of attack, could the First Army really hold on for a month?

“Your Majesty Lieutenant General, except for the west side, all fortifications surrounding the city have been disconnected from the headquarters.”

“According to the forecast of the Combat Staff, if the Eighth Route Army can maintain the current intensity of shelling, we will lose more than 80% of our defenses in five minutes.”

“Do you think the warriors need to be prepared for street fighting and destroy the equipment and finished products of major factories?”

As soon as these words came out, Iwamatsu Yoshio's face turned completely dark.

It was expected to lose contact with the front line. After all, the other party's artillery fire was so fierce that no matter how deep the phone lines were buried, they would be blown up.

 What really made him angry was Hanatani Masaru in front of him.

As the Chief of Staff of the First Army, he was thinking about burning the boat just five minutes into the battle. Judging from his twenty-three years of experience in the army, he has never seen such a strange senior commander.

 If what I just said were said in front of the soldiers, I don’t know how much morale it would lose.

But there is no time to complain about the pig teammates now. If the Eighth Route Army's artillery cannot be counterattacked in time, the next battle will not be fought. It would be better to commit suicide directly, at least without being tortured.

After glaring at Hanagani Masaru, Yoshio Iwamatsu ordered:

“Raise the observation balloon and look for the Eighth Route Army’s artillery positions. Remember to remind our artillery to move their position after each counterattack. The enemy must have detection methods, so be careful in everything.”

“Let the remaining fighters and dive bombers attack, they know what to do.”

“Now is not the time to prepare for street fighting, we still have hope of holding on!”

"Hi!"

 After the stupid chief of staff left, Yoshio Iwamatsu sighed helplessly. In previous wars, artillery observation balloons were the First Army's biggest weapon.

 The enemy's field troops have neither medium-caliber anti-aircraft guns, let alone fighter jets.

On a battlefield where you have control of the air, there is no danger at all in using observation balloons. Your own artillery can hit wherever it goes.

 But now, the great killers of the past have become disposable consumables.

Wusu Airport was lost first, and the opponent's air force could attack at any time. The remaining observation balloon will most likely only last about ten minutes.

As for the remaining fighters and dive bombers, Yoshio Iwamatsu didn’t feel bad at all.

 Rather than being found by the enemy's observation post, it was blown up by artillery shells or aerial bombs in a temporarily built hangar.

It would be better to let the army aviation members launch a suicide attack to destroy several artillery positions before the opponent's air force enters the scene.

“I hope that Lieutenant General Amazo Jutaro and General Okamura Neji can give us some help. Our First Army is really at the end of its rope.”

“Give me an order to have that good-for-nothing Jia Gui go out on patrol! Don’t let suspicious elements in the city make small moves and strengthen the defenses of major factories!”

  ·······

 Inside the city, Wenying Park.

This is the oldest park in Taiyuan. After 1938, the Japanese renamed it Xinmin Park. They destroyed many buildings and facilities in the park to make room for training new recruits.

At this time, nine Japanese soldiers in flight suits stood in front of a temporarily transformed apron. They each held a bowl of sake and were chatting about tactics.

 This attack is destined to go nowhere, and this field airport can barely take off. But even the most skilled person cannot guarantee a smooth landing.

“Gentlemen, I believe you all already know. Taiyuan is in danger, and North China is about to escape the control of my younger brother.”

“Although we cannot influence the situation of the battle, we can at least buy some time for Lieutenant General Yoshio Iwamatsu. In this battle, our mission is to destroy the Eighth Route Army’s artillery unit!”

 “Drink the wine in your hand! Get ready to attack!”

As soon as these words were spoken, the eight Army Aviation members wearing ointment flag turbans drank all the sake in the bowl. Then they slammed the bowl to the ground, their eyes full of fanaticism.

 Ice + wine, the magic power is boundless.

While the ground support team was preparing the aircraft, the last Army Aviation Major of the First Army began to tell a story.

“In the Imperial Years 1934 and 1941, the evil Yuan Dynasty launched a war of aggression against us.”

“Thanks to the blessing of the divine locusts, a divine wind was set off on the sea to repel the Yuan army. This enabled our country to escape the fate of being destroyed.”

“Now, we are all like the wind to His Majesty Locust! I require one person, one machine and one bomb to kill at least five artillery positions! Do you understand?”

 “Hi! Long live His Majesty the Locust! Long live my brother Japan!”

Amid cheers from the Army Aviation Group, dozens of ground crews pushed three Type 97 fighter jets and six Type 97 Singles out of the hangar.

 These nine are already the last aircraft of the First Army. Fortunately, Yoshio Iwamatsu had a hand and gave up the airport in advance to dismantle the aircraft. Otherwise, we won’t even be able to get one together.

In the expectant eyes of the ground crew, nine aircraft took off one after another in a very showy manner and flew towards the artillery position of the Southern Group.

“Your plane is the last bomb. We cannot return and can only perish together with the enemy!”

I originally wanted to get more shells and blow them up for half an hour first.

But after calculating the weight, Miss 75 is too expensive for shells. It will soon catch up with the European battlefield.

 (End of this chapter)